Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief: A Remix
by maddy4166
Summary: This FanFiction follows the line of The Lightning Thief but I added in my own twists. Percy and his new found friend Maddy (my OC) find out they are demigods. Once at camp, Percy decides to go on a quest to find his mother. Maddy, Annabeth and Grover tag along. Romances will spark, but who with? (OC's will/may be added within the story!) Sorry, summery sucks. xoxo maddy4166
1. Chapter 1 : I Meet A New Friend

Maddy's POV

I walked into my third period class. I sat down in my normal spot.

"Good morning class." Our language teacher, Mrs. Dweet, said in her monotone voice as she walked into the classroom.

The class mumbled a good morning back. It was only the first week of Grade 10 and some of us were just getting used to being back on a schedule and were sometimes a minute or two late to class.

It was about 30 seconds after Mrs. Dweet came in, then one of the boys in my class came barreling through the door. That, was Percy Jackson. Percy was average height with dark brown hair and blue eyes. His mother, Sally, and him lived down the street in an apartment building. No one knows who his father is, except for Sally.

"I'm, I'm sorry, Mrs. Dweet." Percy stuttered shyly.

Percy was very outgoing with his friends but shy with everyone else. He never talked to me voluntarily but thats no problem with me. He took the only empty seat in the class. Next to me. We locked eyes with each other and gave each other a weak smile then quickly looked away. Every girl in the school would swoon over his good looks but nobody looked past that. I didn't really care either way.

"Well then," Mrs. Dweet said, glaring at Percy, "let's get on with class."

She wrote something on the board that had to do with the French Revolution. "Who can tell me what this says and what it has to do with the French Revolution?"  
The smart kids in the class all rose their hands, eager to be picked and share, once again, their smartness with the class. Percy and I, along with a few others in the class, kept our hands down. But Mrs. Dweet didn't like any of us, especially Percy for one reason or another, and always picked on him.

"Percy Jackson. Can you tell me?" Mrs. Dweet questioned, still with that monotone voice.  
Percy stared hard at the board, concentrating extremely hard but he couldn't get anything out of it.

"I, I'm sorry. I don't know." he said, looking embarrassed.

Some of the 'populars' snickered at him and he looked at his shoes, blushing. I felt really bad for him. He was a shy kid with dyslexia along with ADHD and was being bombarded by annoying girls and obnoxious 'populars'.

Before we knew it, it was the end of the class. Everyone rushed out except for Percy and I.

I decided to be brave. We both got up and headed for the door. "Hi." I said.

"Hi." Percy said, smiling shyly. "I'm Percy."

"I'm Maddy." I answered.

I could see he had a glum expression on his face. "Are you okay?" I asked.

He glanced down at me. "Do you really care or are you just one of the girls whose gonna throw yourselves at me?"

"No, no! I really care!" I replied giving him a reassuring smile.

"Okay, well. To be honest, no. I'm not okay." he said.

I urged him to continue.

He did. "It's just, I'm new and shy, if you haven't already noticed, and I have ADHD. Not to mention dyslexic. I've been teased all my life about it. I really have no friends and its just really hard for me." he vented.

As we walked to our next class, Latin, with Mr. Bruner, Percy told me about not knowing who is father was, and having to live with his mother and his step-father, Gabe. He told me about Gabe and how he treated the apartment, Percy himself and not to mention his mother.

"Wow. I can understand why you have such a hard time." I said when he finished.

He nodded. "Sorry. About the, uh, venting. I'm sure you didn't really want to hear about my life story. No one ever does."

"Percy! Don't say that! It's fine! Really. Look," I said, stopping him in front of Mr. Bruner's classroom door. "I know how it feels. I don't have many friends either. I'm shy, I live with my dad and have also never met my mom. High school is probably going to be tough for both of us. But that doesn't mean we can't stick up for each other and help each other out, right?"

"Right." Percy said, nodding.

"Okay. Great." I said as we smiled at each other and walked into the class.

For the first time in a long while, I felt like I was beginning a new friendship.


	2. Chapter 2 : Attack of the Teacher

Chapter 2 : Attack of the Teacher

Percy's POV

This week was actually pretty good. I met this girl, Maddy, who isn't like any other girl I've met in my first year of high school. Yes, Grade 10 is my first year at a public high school.

Maddy is so sweet. She has long brown hair and brown eyes. She is shy, just like me, and we found out we have more in common then we thought. All those 'popular' girls that throw themselves at me, don't compare to her.

Anyways, it was the next day. Friday. Today was the day Mr. Brunner was taking the class to a Greek museum so we could continue learning about Greek mythology to a higher extent.

Maddy and I sat together on the bus with the 2 most annoying popular girls sitting behind us playing with my hair.

"Heather! Sara! Quit it would you!" Percy demanded.

The girls gasped. "He is SO cute when he is mad!"

Percy rolled his eyes and turned back around to face the front of the bus.

"You don't really know how to say no to girls do you?" Maddy asked me.

I shook my head. Honestly, I didn't. I can get so shy around girls that I just don't know what to say when I want to say no.

"Your going to have to learn how." Maddy pointed out.

"I know." I said.

We finally arrived at the museum. I met up with my best friend Grover. Grover had crutches. He had acne and even a stubbley little beard. Maddy came with us. Mr. Brunner led us inside and he started to tell us about the statues. This was my favourite class in school, and Mr. Brunner was my favourite teacher. Mr. Brunner usually had me answer his questions and I usually got them right. It was just, a natural thing.

After a little while, Mrs. Dweet called me aside. We went into a smaller room. Mrs. Dweet suddenly disappeared. Then she appeared atop a tall storage rack thing.

"Woah!" I yelled! "What? How, how the heck did you get up there?"

"Where is it?" Mrs. Dweet screamed. "Where is the bolt?"

"What? What are you talking about?" I asked her, confused.

As quickly as she got up there, she came flying down. She had turned into this leathery, old human-bat sort of thing. She flew down and plucked me off the ground with her talon-feet. Grover came running in on his crutches, Mr. Brunner following in his electric wheelchair.

"Put him down immediately or I swear on the River Styx I will tear you into pieces!" Mr. Brunner yelled at the ex-Mrs. Dweet.

She hissed and dropped me. I fell and landed hard on the stone floor. Then she flew out of the building, making a hole in the stained glass window.

"You couldn't have said 'put him down nicely'?" I said groaning as I got up off the floor.

Mr. Brunner had me tell them everything that had just happened.

"A Fury. They found him. They think he has the master bolt." Mr. Brunner told Grover.

"Who found me?" I asked, worried.

Mr. Brunner shushed me. "We have to take him to the camp."

"What camp? Guys I'm standing right here!" I said.

"Grover take him and warn Sally. Don't let him out of your sight." Mr. Brunner instructed.

Grover nodded.

"Percy. Before you go, take this. When you are in danger, click it." Mr. Brunner said, giving me a pen.

"This is a pen." I said taking it. "This is a PEN!"

"Perc, let's go. Come on! LET'S GO!" Grover yelled.

"Grover. I'm not leaving Maddy here." I told him.

"Fine. Lucky for you, you guys are just alike." Grover told me.

We grabbed Maddy and ran out of the museum. We ran straight to my apartment and to get my mom.

"Sally. Percy has to go. Like, now." Grover said to my mom, giving her an intense stare.

She understood better than Maddy and I. In the car, Grover caught Maddy up on what was happening and she called her dad. He knew what was happening.

Later in the night, we were still driving.

"Your father was wonderful Percy." my mom said.

"Yup. Always are dazzling." Grover said as he read the paper.

All of a sudden we were harshly tipped upside down.

"Everyone okay?" I asked.

We all groaned yes.

"Is it me," Grover said. "or is it raining cows?"

"Guys, look." Maddy said pointing out the window.

Grover started to take off his pants.

"Grover!" Maddy screamed, covering her eyes.

"What are you doing?" I cried.

"My job." Grover said as he kicked at the door with his . . . hooves?

We got out and we ran. We ran through the forest and we ran until we saw a giant sign written in ancient Greek.

"Camp Half-Blood." Maddy and I said in unison.

I don't know how we knew that, but we did. Grover led us through but my mom stopped outside the gate.

"Mom! Come on!" I said trying to pull her towards the inside of the gate.

The giant thing was coming closer. I tried pulling harder but it was like an invisible wall wasn't letting her through.

"I'm not leaving without you." I cried.

"You have to. I'm not like you Percy." my mom yelled.

Just like that, the giant bull came and picked her up off the ground. In a matter of seconds and a flash of golden light, she was gone.

"No!" I screamed. I ran up to the thing.

I didn't know what to do other than I could hear Grover and Maddy, begging me to come back to safety. Then I remembered Mr. Brunner's words.

'The pen.' I thought.

I removed the pen from my jacket and uncapped it.

"Woah!" I screamed as it turned into a giant sword.

I swung at the giant bull, but that only made it mad. I ran back around a tree. It slammed horn first into the trunk. When it pulled back, it's horn was in the tree. My sword was by its feet. It was recovering quickly from its injury but I ran to the tree and tried to pull out the horn.

"Percy! Behind you!" Maddy and Grover yelled.

The thing was right behind me. Just before it reached out for me, the horn came from the tree. I jabbed it right into its side. It let out a long, loud snort before toppling over and disappearing in the same golden light my mom did.

Grover and Maddy ran over to me.

"Percy how do you feel?" Grover asked me.

"I, I feel, I feel tired." I said.

All I remember was falling back into Grover and Maddy's arms and retreating into a long, refreshing sleep.


	3. Chapter 3 : I Learn The Truth

Percy's POV

I woke up in what seemed to me as an infirmary. I sat up in bed. A sharp pain went though my shoulder. I groaned and looked around.

"I'm sure glad you're alive." Grover said as he peeked in my curtained off room. "You've been out for 3 days."

"3 days!" I said surprised.

Grover nodded. "So what do you remember?" he asked me.

"Some crazy dream. My mom and Maddy were there. You were there too but you were some hybrid man donkey thi- WOAH!" I cried as I looked down at Grover's legs.

They were brown and fuzzy with hooves for feet; just like in my 'dream'.

"Ya. I'm half man half goat. The political term is satyr." he replied.

"No. No, no, no!" I said, sitting on the edge of my bed. "So that was all real? My mom is really gone?"

Grover nodded his head sadly and he sat with me. "Sorry Perc. It's all my fault. It was my job as protector to keep you both safe. Mind you I'm only a junior protector. I don't have my horns yet."

"It's okay man." I said, patting his arm.

Grover just nodded and told me to get dressed and meet him outside.

When I got outside and found Grover he started to explain what this camp was. He didn't get to the special part because Maddy came running over.

"You idiot!" she screamed running at me.

Mad or not, she tackled me with a huge hug.

"I'm so glad your alright!" she whispered to me.

"You too." I whispered back.

Grover stood patiently. When we turned his attention back on him, he continued telling me about the camp.

"You know how Mr. Brunner told us that mortals and gods sometimes hook up and have kids?" he began.

I nodded. "That's why this is called 'Camp Half-Blood'. I'm a demigod aren't I?" I said, beginning to understand.

Grover cheered and jumped in the air. "Woo hoo! 2 points for Percy Jackson!"

"Come on." Maddy said. "Mr. D wants to see you."

She walked me to a really big house while Grover went off with the daughters of Aphrodite.

"Mr. D?" Maddy called. "He's here."  
A man came out. I recognized him from somewhere.

"Aah. You must be the newbie." Mr. D said. "Peter Johnson."

"Umm, it's, it's Percy Jackson, sir." I told him.

He waved his hand like he didn't care. "Chiron! He's here!" he called.

Out came a half horse half man that looked just like . . . "Mr. Brunner?" I asked.

"Why, hello Percy. Good to see your alright." Mr. Brunner said, patting me on the back.

"Mr. Brunner, your, you, you're a," I stuttered trying not to offend him.

"A centaur to be correct." Mr. Brunner explained. "Also, around here, I'm known as Chiron."

"Okay, Chiron. Can you explain whats going on here?" I asked.

"Sure. You two follow me. I'll explain why your here." Chiron said as he led us away from the big house.

"Now you two have been brought here because our special. Not in a crazy way, but a good way." Chiron started. "You two are special because you have the blood of a god."

"We're demigods?" I asked, still shocked.

Chiron nodded. "Indeed you are Percy. Your little friend here, she is one too."

"So my mom knew about this the whole time? That I was a son of a god?" I asked.

Chiron nodded again. "The pungent odor of your stepfather masked the smell of your blood; kept you safe all these years."

"So the whole time my mom stayed with that walking, talking sewer, was to protect me?" I asked sitting down.

"Indeed." Chiron answered.

"I wish I'd known. Now she's gone." I said lowering my head.

I felt Maddy sit down beside me. She put her arm around me and put her head on my shoulder. Then she whispered, "It's okay Percy."

Then she turned around to talk to Chiron.  
"So how come, I haven't seen my mother and Percy hasn't seen his father?" she asked.

"It is forbidden. Zeus, the God of the skies and ruler of all the gods, made the rule no god could see their children after one of the Big 3, broke the rule that you couldn't have children with mortals." Chiron explained.

"So it's like that with all the demigods here? No one is allowed to see their godly parent?" Maddy asked, standing up.

Chiron nodded.

I stood up. "So do you know who my father is?

Chiron thought about it for a moment, considering how he should tell us who our unknown parent is.

"Well Percy. There aren't many of you, in particular, here. In fact, there is just you. You are very special Percy. You have great powers and here at camp, you will learn to control them. You will train and become warriors and heroes." Chiron explained.

"Heroes? You have the wrong guy! I'm a loser. I have ADHD and dyslexia. I'm no hero." I said.

"Those are some of your greatest gifts. Your ADHD, that is part of your battle reflexes. Helps you stay alive in a battle. Not to mention your dyslexia! Reading English is hard because the words float off the page right?" Chiron asked.

I nodded.

"That is because your brain is hardwired to read ancient Greek, not English. That is why you could read everything at the museum." Chiron answered.

I let it all sink in, then told him to continue.

"Now Maddy. You are special too. Just not quite as special as Percy. You are a daughter of one of the higher end goddesses, but not as high as Percy. You also have dyslexia, correct?" Chiron started.

Maddy nodded. I was surprised; she never told me that.

"Your brain is hard wired for ancient Greek as well. You don't have ADHD though, so your battle strength and strategies must come from else where." Chiron stated, raising his eyebrows as though hinting something.

"Battle strength and strategies. My mother. My mother is Athena!" Maddy exclaimed.

"Yes Maddy. Your mother is in fact Goddess Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle strategies." Chiron informed.

"Now that leaves me." I said.

"Yes, you Percy. You are very special indeed. I wanted to show you this." Chiron said, waving his hand at a large, beautiful, seafront cabin.

"A cabin? Ooh, so exciting." I said sarcastically.

"Yes. A cabin. That your father built just for you." Chiron said. "Go on in. Take a look."

Maddy and I went in.

My only impression of the cabin was "Wow!"

"Wow is right." Maddy said.

We went around and looked at some of the stuff that was in the cabin. In one of the corners I saw a trident. I went over and picked it up.

"Look at this. This baby has got some weight to it." I called to Maddy, turning around and holding it up to her.

She came over and took it from my hands, staring at it with awe.

"Percy. Haven't you figured it out yet?" she asked, putting down the trident.

I looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Percy, come on! It's obvious. Water front view, trident, your father?" Maddy hinted.

"My father is Poseidon." I said, locking eyes with Maddy.

She nodded. We looked at Chiron who just came trotting in.

"You like the place?" he asked me.

I nodded. "My father is Poseidon." I said again.

Chiron nodded. "Yes Percy. Your father is Poseidon, god of the seas, member of the Big 3."


	4. Chapter 4 : Capture the Flag

Maddy's POV

Today was great and confusing at the same time. It was great because Percy was okay and I found out who my mother was. It was confusing because, my mother is Athena. Percy's father, is Poseidon. It's just a lot to take in.

After Grover got Percy and I into our battle gear, he walked us around the training and battle grounds. We walked into a large, open, grassy area where a bunch of people were practicing their battle work. We saw one girl alone, fighting off at least 5 guys. She won.

Percy pointed at her and asked Grover, "What's her name?"

Grover just laughed. "Haha! She will squash you like a bug."

"Her name." Percy repeated.

"Name's Annabeth, daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle strategies." Grover answered.

Percy just kept watching her fight. I admit, she was really good.

"Come on. No staring." Grover said, dragging us along.

"Uh huh." we said and followed, watching the brunette continue fighting.

Grover led us around the battle training areas. When we got back around to the forest area where we started.

"Warriors! Heroes!" Chiron shouted. "Gather round! Hurry, hurry!"

Everyone rushed over to gather around Chiron.

"Now it is time for Capture the Flag. Mr. D is going to be announcing our new comers. They will need a time." Chiron announced.

Mr. D came up on stage.

"As you well know, I'm Dionysus, but please, call me Mr. D. Here are the two newcomers, Maddy Jones and Peter Johnson." Mr. D (Dionysus; that's where Percy remembered him from! The Greek mythology class!) announced, pulling us up on stage.  
"Umm, actually, my name is Percy Jackson." Percy whispered to him.

"Oh. Right. This is Maddy Jones and Percy Jackson!" Mr. D corrected himself. "They will need a team."

"We'll take them." a guy in the distanced called out.

Chiron came back onstage and gestured him up.

"The names Luke. Son of Hermes and camp leader. Not necessarily in that order." he said smiling.

Luke seemed like a nice guy. He was taller than Percy and I and had cropped sandy blonde hair. He had a nice smile and sky blue eyes. "You guys got any helmets?"

Percy and I shook our heads no.

"Anyone thats got 2 extra helmets, please pass them forward!" Luke called to the crowd of demigods.

2 helmets got passed forwards.

"You'll need these. I think they should both fit." Luke said, handing us each a helmet.

We strapped them on and stepped off the stage, standing by Luke and the rest of our Team Blue. Team Red was captained by Annabeth, which kind of worried me, seeing how good my 'stepsister' was at battling.

Chiron explained the rules of Capture the Flag - which, at the time, seemed fairly simple - then he dismissed us to get into positions.

Once in positions, I heard guy scream, "Ready! GO!"

Everyone let out battle cries and started running. Swords and shields clashed against other swords and shields. Luke started running.

"Come on! I know where the flag is!" Luke cried.

Percy and I ran after him. Some of the other campers tried to come at us but Luke took them down. He was an excellent fighter! One camper jumped out of a tree in front of us and pointed his long, sharp sword at us.

"Woah! That's a sword, that's a sword!" Luke cried, holding out his arms so we wouldn't run straight past him.

More warriors came out and we were surrounded. Luke, Percy and I were back to back. Throughout the 6 of us, it was silent.

Luke's eyes darted back and forth. "GO!" he screamed suddenly.

Swords went flying and clashing as Percy and I tried to fight. We managed to take our 2 out; with the occasional help of Luke.

"Guys!" he cried while he fought with the opponent. "Go look for the flag!"

"How do we just do that!" Percy cried as he ran through a clearing in the forest, slipping and tumbling down the hill.

I laughed and ran after him, managing to stay upright.

We ran around looking for the flag for a few minutes, managing to keep ourselves safe and alive. Soon we were almost out of breath and needed a drink. We stopped at a pond and collapsed on our knees. We cupped our hands and drank some water. I saw a reflection in the water and looked up.

"Hey. Look at that." I said pointing across the pond.

"No!" Percy said standing up. "Can it really be that easy?"

We looked at each other and I shrugged. He started to wade across the pond. I walked carefully around the pond. Percy reached out and touched the flag. All of a sudden a girl in full battle armor jumped out of a tree.

**Percy's POV**

"Woah! Hey!" I cried, as Annabeth jumped out of the tree in front of me and pointed her sword at my throat.

She lowered her sword. Then she took off her helmet after seeing I had ditched mine at the other edge of the water.

"Did you really think it was going to be that easy?" she asked me.

"Eh. It could've been." I replied, staring into her dazzling grey eyes.

"My mother is the goddess of wisdom and battle strategies. Do you know what that means?" she asked, pausing. "I always win."

"Hey," I said spreading out my arms. "I always loose! Maybe we're both wrong this time."

She let out a cry as she slashed my arm. She turned around and slashed my face in the meantime.

"Ow!" I cried, putting a hand up to my bleeding cheek.

I tried to make my attack move but she blocked it. We started battling, our swords clanging against each other. I could hear Maddy gasping with every move. Then I saw Grover and Chiron come out of the trees on the cliff above the flag. I heard the 2 teams pile in behind us, watching Annabeth and I fight. She slashed me and elbowed a few more times before she put me on the ground. The red team cheered.

_'Percy, go to the water. It will give you power.'_ I heard the voice come from inside my head. I didn't know who it was but I tried the voice's advice.

I wiggled my way to the water and stuck my fingertips in. Then something weird happened. The water trickled its way up my arm, chest, legs and face, healing all my wounds. I stood up, just as shocked as everyone else. I grabbed my sword and walked towards the flag. A guy from the red team tried to get me, but I ducked and slashed at his foot and he went down. Then 2 more guys from the red team ran over to me, but I took them both out too. Annabeth came over and tried me again. We fought but it didn't take long before I had took her sword and held mine and hers up against her neck. She was breathing heavily from all the fighting and had a look of surprise on her face. I lowered the weapons and returned her sword. She stood back. No one else challenged me and made a path for me to walk right over to the flag. I picked it up and held it high in the air. I had won.

"Ya Perc!" I heard Grover yell.

I could hear Chiron and the rest of the blue team congratulate me too. Maddy came over and gave me a hug and helped me hold the flag up high.


	5. Chapter 5 : I Get a Quest Kind of

Percy's POV

At nightfall, we had a giant bonfire and celebratory dinner. Grover, Maddy and I went to get some punch. Grover got distracted by some nymphs who wanted to invite me to a party.

"I better go with him. He might go a little crazy." Maddy said.

We laughed and she went off following Grover.

Annabeth came over and got some punch for herself. "Feel like a hero?" she asked me.

"No, not quite. More like a mutant alien. I'm not going to grow a fish tail or gills or something like that will I?" I asked.

Annabeth laughed. "Not likely. But a huge ego and big mouth isn't out of the question."

I gestured her to follow me away from the punch table. "I'm sensing that you don't like me very much."

She shrugged. "Possibly. Our parents dislike each other."

I gave her a puzzled look and she continued.

"They both wanted to be patron gods of Athens, but the people chose Athena. I suppose I could go on but, I think you get the point." she explained.

"Ah." I said.

"Anyways, I definitely have strong feelings for you Percy. I just don't know whether they're positive or negative quite yet." Annabeth told me.

"Well," I said. "You figure it out, and tell me once you do."

Annabeth nodded. "You'll be the first."

We smiled and each took a swig from our goblets.

Just after Maddy had come back, the bonfire broke out into a raging fire and figure formed in it.

"Woah!" I cried, putting my arms in front of Annabeth and Maddy and pushing them away from the fire.

"Percy Jackson, show yourself." the fire spoke.

The figure started throwing fire balls

I stood, staring at the fire. Chiron came trotting up behind me and pulled out his sword and knife.

"Hades!" he cried.

Fire Hades spoke again. "Don't be shy, come on out."

I didn't budge.

"Come on, bring me the bolt, and I will exchange it for your mother." Hades bargained.

That did it. I went marching up to the fire.  
"Percy!" Maddy and Annabeth cried.

"Get back here!" Chiron commanded.

"Hey!" I shouted at the fire. "My mother is gone!"

"Noooo." Hades said, turning around in the fire to face me. "Your precious mommy is right here with me, in the Underworld. I sent the Minotaur merely to abduct her."

With that, he extended his hand and set a floating ball of fire in front of me. The figure of my mom showed inside it.

"Mom?" I said.

"Oh Percy." she replied.

We tried to reach out and touch hands with each other but Hades wiped the fire ball away.

"If you ever want to be with your mother again, you will bring me the bolt before the Summer Solstice." Hades said.

He disappeared and the raging fire returned to its originally bonfire form. My friends and Chiron came over to me.

"Chiron, I have to go get my mother back." I said between breaths.

"Percy, no. You must stay here and train; and I promise you, we will do everything we can to get your mother back." Chiron assured me with a pat on my back.

Later, after everyone was sent to their cabins for sleep, I was packing my backpack with the essentials it would take to go to Hades and get my mother back.

"Going somewhere?" Grover asked as I walked out of my cabin.

"Uh, ya. I'm going for a walk." I replied.

"Ooh a walk! I'm coming with you." he said.

"No, your not." I insisted.

Grover just laughed. "You're being followed!"

"Look, just, go to sleep or something!" I tried, but I couldn't get rid of him.  
When we passed the Athena cabin - still bickering - Maddy and Annabeth were on the porch of the cabin packing their backpacks too. They joined along side me.

"Really? You too?" I asked.

"Yup." Maddy said. "You'd never leave you friend behind, would you?"

I shook my head. She had a point there.

"What about your protector?" Grover asked.

Okay there was a reason he should come too.

"What about me?" Annabeth asked.

"Well, let's see. Today you tried to kill me, and now, you want to defend me? It just doesn't make sense." I told her.

"You're going to need my battle strategies. I mean, come on. You've won one battle and I've won hundreds. Your going to need my experience." Annabeth pointed out.  
I sighed.

"Percy, all I've ever done is train and train and train. I've grown up here since I was 7. I've never been on an actual quest. Please Percy. Let us come with you." Annabeth protested.

"You guys really want to come don't you?" I asked with a quizzical look.

"YES!" my friends cried.

"Ugh. Fine. I guess you can come." I said.

They thanked me.

"So, anyone know how to get to the Underworld?" Maddy asked.

"Huh." I said.

"Did not think of that." Grover said.

Annabeth tapped her hand on my shoulder as she spoke. "I, I think I know someone who does. Come on."

We followed her all the way to the Hermes cabin where we found Luke inside playing X-Box on his flat screen TV.  
"Oh hey Percy, Maddy. Figured you be stopping by soon. Everybody does. Welcome to the 21st century! So what can I do for you?" Luke asked.

"Nice. New stuff." Grover murmured.

"Luke, you dad is Hermes, the only one who has gotten in and out of the Underworld alive. Do you have any idea how he does it?" Annabeth questioned.

"Not really. Dad's a jerk. Never met him. But I did break into his house once. Got some pretty cool stuff." Luke said, pausing his game and walking to a book shelf full of stuff.

He pulled out a box and handed it to me. I opened it and a pair of shoes flew out of the box.

"Flying shoes." Maddy said.

"Yup." Luke said. "They're my dads. He has hundreds of these things. I'm sure he wont miss 1 pair."

He continued, handing me a map. "This is a map of Persephone's Diamonds."

"Persephone's Diamonds?" Maddy asked. "Persephone is Hades wife, right?"

Annabeth nodded. "Hades forced her to marry him. Needless to say, she hates it. I mean, it's a terrible place down there and he's, ya know, a weirdo."

I nodded. "So, what does the diamonds have to do with getting to Hades?"

"Okay, so this map shows where the 4 diamonds in the States are. This," Luke explained, tapping a spot on the map. "Is your first stop. Once you find the first diamond, the map will reveal the next, the third and the last then it's off to Hades!"

"Thanks Luke." I said, giving him a friendly slap on the shoulder.

"Ah, don't mention it." Luke said, smiling and waving it away with his hand. "But before you go, you might need some extra protection."

He walked across the room and got something that resembled a quarter of a shield. He handed it to me and I put it on my arm.

"My favourite shield." Luke said.

I must have been staring at him like he was crazy because he said 'ah' and pulled me slightly away from the others. He pushed a button on the arm band and the quarter of the shield reconfigured into it's proper form.

I cried out in surprise and the others took a jump back.

"Thanks Luke!" I said.

He smiled. "Oh and do me a favor will ya?"

I nodded.

"If you see my dad on the Highway to Hades, kick some godly butt for me." he said, smirking.

"Will do." we agreed.

We said goodbye to Luke and exited the cabin. Then with our newfound knowledge and gadgets, we snuck out of the camp and onto a bus to our first location. Auntie Em's Garden Emporium, right here Manhattan.


End file.
